


Always Got Your Back

by brokenhighways



Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Canon Compliant, Epistolary, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Interviews, M/M, One Shot, Sports
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 01:23:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11003061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways
Summary: Zero and Jude do their first interview together. Jude is nervous, and Zero is as cool as a cucumber - until the interviewer starts asking probing questions.





	Always Got Your Back

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the following [prompt](http://team-zude.dreamwidth.org/26133.html?thread=4117#cmt4117) on the comment!fic/ art fest: _Zero and Jude doing their first ever couple interview/photo shoot._
> 
> This is also for the _epistolary_  
>  prompt on my tropes_bingo card. Sort of. Barely. Haha. It's unbetad and self-edited, so apologies in advance for any mistakes or awkward sentences. 
> 
> Watching hilariously awkward interviews is a guilty pleasure of mine so I had fun writing this. I'm still working on a longer fic with actual plot, but it's currently residing in the Land of Writer's Block. Sigh. Anyway, I managed to finish _something_! Woo.

“Are you as nervous as I am?”

Zero glances toward Jude from where he's getting touched up in makeup. Jude's practically sweating and fidgeting awkwardly in the doorway, his voice sounding disembodied even though he's not far away.

“No,” Zero deadpans with raised eyebrows. “Maybe you'd feel better if you weren't in one of your stuffy suits.”

Jude scoffs at that, like Zero's just made some scandalous suggestion. Zero smirks in response and goes back to flicking through his phone. Technically, _he's_ not nervous, but this interview is the last thing he wants to do. He's only going through with it because his PR team are adamant that he's going to benefit from it, and Lionel's been pushing them to get some _good_ publicity for the team through their relationship. Apparently being a gay poster boy automatically erases his past as a Faux Christian _and_ increases ticket sales. He doesn't pretend to know how this shit works.

“Did you go through the pre-approved questions with your agent and figure out your answers?” Jude asks. He's no longer in the doorway, now he's leaning against the wall in what's clearly supposed to be a casual manner but it's far from convincing.  

Zero shakes his head, earning a glare from Cara, the make up assistant. He flashes her an apologetic smile, and she rolls her eyes fondly. By the time he turns back to Jude, the other man is watching him through a narrowed gaze.

“Uh, no, I didn't,” Zero answers quickly. They've had a few arguments over what Jude perceives to be _flirting_ and what Zero sees as using his charm to make life easier for himself. Usually, he's on the losing end, so it's better to distract Jude than to address the subject. “You really think they're going to stick to them?”

It's part of the reason why Zero didn't bother. Reporters get off on going off script, and trying to get more than prewritten soundbites. He's not about to pull a Robert Downey Jr and walk out of an interview nor does he want to sound like he's been coached, so he figures it's best to just wait and see what they are.

Jude frowns, and seems to become even paler than he was two minutes ago. “They better.” He sounds stressed, like the mere thought of the interview is disturbing his soul.

It probably is.

Zero chuckles softly. “Just relax. This isn't my first rodeo, and if things go south, I'll be there to get us through it.”

Jude raises an eyebrow as if to say _really?_ Zero probably deserves that because for all his talk, he doesn’t always react appropriately, and he has a quick temper- especially over this. _Them._

Still, he has to keep a brave face on for Jude. Jude's always worried about something, always going a million miles an hour in his head and for once, Zero wants to actually reassure him that they've got this.

They're both relatively silent while Cara adds the finishing touches before she leaves the small room. Zero turns around in the swivel chair to face Jude. By some unspoken rule, they don't engage in public displays of affection but it scares him how much he wants to go over there and comfort Jude somehow.

The fact that he has no idea what he's doing makes him stay seated.

“It's funny, I've been talking to all kinds of heavy hitters since I've become EVP _and_ Oscar's my father, every conversation I had with him was an internal battle,” Jude says wistfully. “An interview is the last thing that should scare me.”

“Don't forget the photoshoot,” Zero adds dryly. The only downside of his picture being plastered everywhere is the amount of time spent in front of the camera. It's never as simple as a few clicks.

“I'm more concerned about my words being taking out of context,” Jude tells him. “But the contract stipulates that we get to preapprove the final version, so you're right. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about.”

Zero smiles, even though, inside, he's starting to feel like _he_ should be nervous. They're not going to ask Jude much about himself, at least nothing that isn't related to Oscar, but there's a whole treasure trove of issues they could bring up to Zero. And he can't hide behind basketball this time.

However, this isn't about him. He's done tons of interviews and the worst case scenario, they make him come across as a raging narcissist; he's heard worse, so it doesn't bother him anymore. Jude, on the other hand, didn't exactly ask to be thrust into spotlight.

“Interviews are like baring your soul for all to see, you go in there, prepared to just toe the line but sometimes you end up revealing more than you'd like,” Zero says, leaning forward and looking Jude straight in the eye. “What I do is to deflect. They ask you one thing and if you don't want to answer it, you just reword the narrative.”

Jude nods hesitantly, and Zero wants to add more, but there's a knock on the door before they can continue the conversation.

~

It's a simple interview set up. They're in a neutral location, some hotel downtown, in a relatively large sized room. Zero and Jude are directed to a cream couch, while the interviewer, a chirpy woman called Jessica, is stationed in an armchair adjacent to them. She introduces herself briefly after they enter the room and they exchange pleasantries before her producer calls her to the other side of the suite to go over something. Once they're seated, the camera people fiddle with the various lights and microphones and make the adjustments. Zero's agent, Matt, hovers nearby with his hands glued to his phone, and Jude's busy answering some text messages of his own. Zero sits there awkwardly, drumming his fingers on his thighs as he tries not to fidget too much.

“Should we start?” Jessica say, once they've finished retouching her curly black hair. The interview backdrop is in place behind them and the commotion starts to die down before it peters out to near silence.

Zero offers her a grin, “We're ready when you are, right Jude?”

Jude looks up at him, clearing his throat uncomfortably before he mutters a quiet, “Yup”.

Jessica eyes him oddly and Zero presses his lips together and thinks, _this is going to be interesting_.

The interview goes something along the lines of this:

_Jessica: So, our viewers might know you as the Los Angeles Devils’ star couple, but the burning question on all of our minds is how did the two of you meet?_

It's an easy question, the kind that anyone who read the bland statement that Lionel released the day after the kiss would be able to answer. Of course, people always want more, they always want to flesh out an outline with the nitty gritty details, always want to dig deep for answers they'll only discard afterward.

The question isn't really aimed at either of them specifically so, Zero decides to take the reins because he's the with the experience here, and they agreed that he'd do most of the talking (“or all of it,” Jude suggested before Zero pointed out how _bad_ that would look).

_Zero: We met back in Ohio, when I was being sounded out by the Devils. Jude and I became close friends during the process and things just picked up from there._

Jessica seems to be amused by his answer but she doesn't say anything, she just goes back to her cue cards and asks another question.

_Jessica: Zero, you obviously signed for the Devils last season and one of the people you thanked was Jude. How exactly did he convince you to move to LA?_

Zero raises an eyebrow at her suggestive tone, but he decides to answer the question anyway.

_Zero: Well, obviously, we had to go through quite a lengthy negotiating process and Jude was kind of like the middle man? So, he relayed whatever I wanted to the team and you know, that was discussed and so forth. It was all pretty standard._

_Jude: The Devils are one of the top teams in the league. It didn't take much convincing. Zero's the kind of player who knows the best when he sees it and I'm just happy that it all worked out way it did._

Jude's voice is a little stiff, but it's a good answer. Vague, but in a way that still answers the question. Even if said question was laced with enough innuendo that Zero's smile has gone from being genuine to forced.

_Jessica: Hmm, I bet you are. Zero, you caused quite a stir when you kissed Jude on live television after that game. Was that deliberate? Was that your way of coming out? Or was there a more personal reason?_

Zero starts to wish that he'd paid close attention to the questions because this is definitely one that he would have struck off the list. He doesn't really consider kissing Jude as _coming out_ , it was just what he had to do. Obviously, there's no way he's going to tell the real truth, so he pastes on another smile and tries to keep his answer as short as possible.

_Zero: It was a spur of the moment thing. We'd just won the game and I wanted to celebrate with the most important person to me. That's Jude. So, I kissed him. And here we are._

The last part is spoken through gritted teeth, so it's no surprise when Jude jumps in.

_Jude_ : _I think if you watch it back, you can see that I'm certainly taken by surprise, so, yeah, I think it was a nice gesture._

_Jessica: You've watched it back?_

_Jude: The meeting after the kiss. Lionel [Davenport] played us the YouTube clip and said, 'so what do we do about this?’ It was pretty surreal, but thankfully, most people have been supportive._

Zero can't help being impressed by how polished Jude is all of a sudden. Hell, _his_ first interview was a mess. He shoots Jude a wink, chuckling gently when Jude quirks a brow and shakes his head fondly. He can see Jessica mentally cataloguing every micro action they engage in when he turns back to look at her. Zero's had his fair share of interviews, and knows a couple of reporters. Usually he can tell when someone wants to make a name for themselves. She definitely falls in that category.

_Jessica: That's good to hear. From what I gather, while most fans are on board with 'Zude', not everyone feels the same way. How do you guys deal with that?_

Zero and Jude share a look. Technically, they've _haven't_ dealt with it. He might be active on social media but he ignores his mentions, doesn't bother articles online and his fan mail is vetted. It's hard to resist temptation sometimes, but Zero has other things to focus on, like making it to the top of the game and getting another ring.

_Jude: Honestly, I think I'm still dealing with the term 'Zude’. I feel like it makes us sound a lot more interesting than we are._

_Zero: Hey, speak for yourself, I'm extremely interesting._

_Jessica: That's certainly true, Zero. I hope you don't mind me changing tack here, but you've had quite the journey since you arrived in LA. From being a devout Christian to dating Jelena Howard, to the scandal that ended that relationship and now this. What would you say to the people who think that there's nothing genuine about you?_

Matt, who's finally managed to put down his phone, steps up then and says, “He's not answering that.”

Zero looks over at Jude, who shifts closer to him on the couch in response. It's as touchy feely as they're going to get, but Zero appreciates the gesture.

“I'll answer it,” he says, because if he doesn't, that'll be on record in the interview and this isn't all about _him._

_Zero: That's maybe a fair assessment for them to make, but I am who I am. There's no written law that says I need to have a rigid persona that stays the same at all times. Yes, I've made some mistakes but I'm learning from them._

_Jessica: What have you learned exactly?_

_Zero: That people are going to try and label you no matter what. I just gave them one to stick on me before they could do it for me. I don't owe anything to anyone. People can think whatever they want of me, it doesn't bother me._

By this point that Zero is aggrieved by her line of questioning. While it's stuff he's heard before, he's tired of answering to all of these nameless people that are too busy worrying about him instead of themselves. It's a waste of time, so he stood there and focuses on the way Jude's warmth bleeds into his shoulder.

“You’re doing great,” Jude whispers, even though they both know that's far from the truth.

Zero nods in acknowledgement but he doesn't respond; he gets the feeling that anything he says will automatically become fodder for the interview.

_Jessica: You don't think people should wonder why it is that you seem to always do things or date people who keep you in the public eye? Sure, you signed a thirty million dollar contract, but we all know that's just the beginning. The more public you are, the more of a brand you become. Obviously there's something driving you._

Zero rolls his neck uncomfortably and bites back the urge to say, 'just fucking drop it’.

_Zero: So what if there is? What's wrong with that? I came here to be a top player for a top team, not to roll over and be the perfect choirboy that all of these 'people’ wish I was._

_Jessica: So, you're not playing some kind of ostensible role? If that's the case, then which version of you is the real Zero? You can't expect people to believe that you're authentic when the evidence says otherwise._

Matt steps forward again, warning evident in his eyes when he says, “I think we should take a break.”

Once again, Zero would rather answer the question. The one thing he isn't is some kind of pushover. He'd like to set the record straight once and for all.

_Zero: Everyone in the public eye dons some kind of persona. That's just a fact. You can call it disingenuous or fake, but I call it survival. If you want to make it as a star, or an athlete, you need to make sure that you don't lose yourself. When everybody wants a piece of you, you need to be ready to work out which facets you want to show._

_Jude: And sometimes the best way to do that is to keep a little part of yourself locked away. So, while it might appear that Zero's got multiple personas, he's been the same guy since I met him. There's a real person underneath all of the veneer, he's just in self preservation mode. And people might have a problem with that but it's not like he's the only person that does it._

Jessica regards Jude with interest before she shuffles through her cards and directs her gaze back at Zero.

_Jessica: Okay, fair enough. Let's talk about something else. Given that Oscar Kinkade - the team owner - is still in prison pending a murder charge, what's your relationship like with him at the moment? Are you close? Does he mind that you're dating his son?_

From the way Jude tenses beside him, this was definitely _not_ one of the pre approved questions.

_Jude: Oscar doesn't mind anything. And that's all we're saying on that._

Zero wonders if it's inappropriate to be turned on by the absolute finality in Jude's voice. Even Jessica seems flustered as she selects another card to read from.

_Jessica: Okay, well, there's been quite a stir over the fact that Jude is technically your boss, Zero. How does that affect the dynamics between you, especially at work?_

_Zero: It doesn't. We were friends before we were anything else and that mutual respect is always going to be there. No one is more interested in seeing Jude succeed as EVP than me and it's the same for him with regards to my career. And that doesn't mean that I've got an in with the higher ups, it just means that at work, he's my boss and I'm a player. Simple as._

_Jessica: But he was your agent before. Surely, that's a conflict of interest?_

Zero doesn't bother to disguise the look of contempt on his face.

_Zero: No offence, but how would you know? It's not like I'm in the middle of renegotiating my contract. I was already a starter, I was already one of the team's best players and--_

_Jude: --he was already high on confidence. Trust me, there's no way that I'm pulling any strings for Zero. When he wants something...He goes and gets it by himself. That's one of the things that I like about him._

Normally, Zero would at least acknowledge that comment with a lewd wink or a comment that makes Jude blush but at the moment, he's too irritated.

“I think we will take that break,” he intones gruffly, before he looks at Jessica and adds, “Can we speak with you in private, please?”

Zero rips off his mic angrily as he stands, and Jude follows suit, although he pulls off the black plastic far more delicately. They make their way to the corner of the room.

“What are you doing?” Zero hisses as soon as they're out of earshot. “This was supposed to be a simple interview. Not an inquisition. It's supposed to be about us and not my past.”

Jessica flicks her hair back and shrugs, “Look, you two are the hottest thing right now. The best way to keep the interest is to be honest and also...being _interesting_. I could sit here and ask you what Jude's favourite colour is, or I can ask the questions that'll make you seem like you're not just doing this for publicity.”

It's bullshit, and badly dressed up bullshit at that. She's obviously trying to rile him up and get a reaction of some sort.

“What if we don't want to keep interest?” Zero retorts angrily. “From where I'm standing, it seems like _you're_ the one who's trying to make a name for herself. I know a dozen different reporters who are just like you. Keep going like this and you'll end up writing puff pieces for some shitty blog.”

Jessica raises a dark eyebrow at the harsh words, but it's obvious that she's beginning to feel flustered.

She scoffs gently and says, “Look, so far, we've got some good footage. You're articulate - and I wasn't really expecting that - you're sharp and you obviously care about Jude. I'm only pushing you because it makes for a better interview. Would you rather we put out some shiny, fake, interview that makes you seem like fairytale characters?”

Zero stares at her incredulously, and he finds that he doesn't even know what to say.

Luckily, Jude's got it covered.

“Weren't you a writer for the student paper at USC?” Jude asks conversationally. To an untrained ear, it sounds like a simple enough question, but Zero knows that it's more than that.

Jessica frowns and tucks an errant strand of hair behind her ear before clasping her hands together. “What does that have to do wi--”

“From what I recall,” Jude interrupts, pushing his chest out confidently, “you were kicked off for fabricating interviews.”

Even if Jessica wanted to deny it, her widened eyes would give her way.

“That was a mistake,” she insists after a short silence. “My source gave me some bad information and...It was a mistake.”

Jude tilts his head and presses his lips together. Her words hang in the air and Zero narrows his eyes; he wonders where Jude is going with this.

“Exactly,” Jude replies eventually, “And I'm guessing that you wouldn't have gotten to where you are today if people kept bringing up your mistakes. Especially one that didn't really do anyone else any harm.”

Jessica mouth twists briefly before she finally looks away, her eyes focused on a faraway spot as if she's having trouble maintaining eye contact.

“You're right,” she says simply without looking up. “I'll go talk to my producer.”

She's walking away before either Jude or Zero can say anything. Considering how defiant she was a few minutes earlier, the mistake in college was bigger than Jude made it out to be.

Zero turns to face Jude and he laughs in disbelief. “Did you just _blackmail_ that poor girl into backing off?”

Even though he was laying into her before Jude stepped in, he can't help feeling sorry for her.

Jude shrugs, his face remaining stoic. “You say blackmail, I say a gentle reminder. She was told in no certain circumstances to refrain from bringing up Oscar and your past ... _situations._ She's lucky that I'm not pulling you from the interview entirely.”

For a moment, Zero wonders just what capacity Jude is acting in here. His boss or his... _boyfriend_ . He'll never admit it to anyone but the question about Jude being his superior bothers him. People judging him for being a phony and using hookers is one thing, but people thinking that he gets any kind of special favours cuts deep. It's like they're scrubbing away at all of his personal achievements and adding a hefty disclaimer that says, “ _he had assistance_ ” and that doesn't fly with him, not after everything he's been through.

“Why don't you?” Zero asks, furrowing his brow in an attempt to focus his thoughts. It's better to be forthright than work himself up into knots; he's told Jude this a million times, he might as well practise what he preaches. “I can't imagine that Lionel would be happy about some of what I've said.”

Jude smiles at him wanly, “Yeah, well, this is about Lionel or me, this is about _us_ and the way I see it, you answered honestly. If anyone has a problem with that, let 'em.”

This would be the moment where Zero says something sappy like _I love you_ but Matt pops up in front of them and informs them that they're going to resume in ten minutes. Zero pulls a face and Matt pats him on the arm before retreats to another part of the room.

“This is is his fault you know,” Jude says seriously, still tracing Matt's footsteps with his eyes. “He's supposed to make sure that they stick to the approved questions by any means necessary.”

Zero doesn't really think Matt is at fault but Jude's got some kind of issue with the guy, so he keeps quiet.

“You know he called _me_ to help him with a negotiation that he had for one of your endorsement deals?” Jude continues incredulously. He crosses his arms tightly.  “Who does that?”

Zero tilts his head and narrows his eyes while he takes in Jude's words. “You were my agent before. Maybe he just needed help?”

Jude's lips morph into a tight line and there's no mistaking the sour expression on his face.

“Are you jealous?” Zero asks with widened eyes. Matt is an okay guy but they're not close. If anything they have too much of a professional distance, but Zero doesn't mind. If anything, it's better that way.  

Jude deflates visibly and his arms fall down to his sides limply. “No...I guess I just miss being your agent, y’know, Team Zero and all of that? Being EVP is great, but…well, you know.”

At first Zero is touched because no one has ever really missed being his _anything,_ but then he shudders at the sappiness of that particular sentiment.

After giving himself a second to deal with yet another emotion he's spent the twenty years compressing, he says, “I miss you being my agent too, stupid.”

There's more that he'd like to say, but from the way Jude's eyes lighten, and the way the corners of his mouth twist up, he gets it.

He always does.

Deciding not to bother with words, Zero draws Jude towards him and covered his mouth with his own, initiating a gentle kiss. Jude's response is instant, the caress of his lips soft and pliant as he presses in. They both pull away after a few seconds, almost like they're both aware that people are watching. Still, Zero doesn't regret anything when he sees the fond expression on Jude's face.  


Before things can get too saccharine, Jude has to take an urgent phone call. It means that they have to extend the break and Zero finds himself flicking through his various social media accounts while he waits. He sees Jessica approaching him from the corner of his eye and he braces himself for whatever harsh words she may have for him. Even though interviews are a two way street, sometimes they end up acrimoniously. In this day and age, it's probably better to smooth things over before anything hits the web.

“So, you two _are_ the real deal,” Jessica remarks casually when she takes a seat. They're back in the places from before. She's in the armchair, he's on the couch. The camera is probably still rolling. He smirks at her slowly, drawing out the moment long enough that she quirks an eyebrow.

“Was there ever any doubt?” he asks her. It's more of rhetorical question, because for all of the shit he's gotten, willingly outing himself is probably the worst thing that a professional athlete can do. He's already gotten a lot of stick for it, even if it's not as bad as he thought it would be. So while might be turning out okay for him, that anyone thinks this is some kind of publicity stunt is frustrating.

“Kinda,” Jessica replies, leaning back and crossing her legs as if she's going for a casual pose. “You caught a lot of heat last year over your... activities, and what better way to elicit public sympathy? At least in some quarters.”

Zero huffs out a dry laugh, ducking slightly as he rubs a hand over his neck. “If I wanted some kind of pity party, I could easily have one without needing to bring Jude into it. He's...he means too much for me to be able to do that.”

Jessica doesn't respond right away, just regards him with a discerning eye, like she's trying to size him up and figure him out.

“I'm sorry about the line of questioning from earlier,” she says eventually. She glances towards where the producers and tech people are gathered and adds, “they wanted to see if you'd break, or snap and told me to push.”

Zero snorts at that, raising his eyebrows as he says, “And you're just the innocent interviewer that does as she's told, right?”

He knows that she's just trying to offer him an olive branch but he's not in the mood to accept it. Even though he's all about being the bigger person, the guilty expression that floods onto her face is worth it.

He knows then that the rest of the interview is going to be a piece of cake.

~

After answering the rest of the fairly mundane questions - Zero's not sure who approved 'Do you know each other’s favourite colours?’, because last time he checked, they're not Justin and Selena and they're not trying to appeal to twelve year olds - they take a quick lunch break.

The photoshoot goes as well as it can, just a simple set up in the now rearranged room, and then a couple of outside shots. By the end of it all Jude's discomfort has reached critical levels and Zero's bored stiff. A quick word with Matt sees them wrapping up an hour earlier than intended, and Zero and Jude say their goodbyes and leave.

“That was some bullshit,” Zero mutters when they're in the elevator heading towards the parking lot. “This is why I like talking about basketball. It's simple and there's no putting words in my mouth. I know what to say, how to deflect - whatever.”

Talking about basketball has always been second nature to him, not relationships and emotions that he barely has a handle on himself. He makes a mental note to pass that sentiment onto Lionel _and_ Matt. If it means that no one wants to interview him, so be it.

Jude gives him a sympathetic look, “I didn't particularly enjoy it either but if it keeps Lionel off our backs, then it was worth it. And don't worry about getting a rough edit - already got that covered.”

The confident way in which Jude says that makes Zero smile, because as disconcerting as it is at times, having someone in his corner means a lot to him. Sure he's had agents, assistants and other people who hang onto his every word, but Jude's always been different. He's always been genuinely interested in seeing Zero succeed, and that's hard to come by these days. Everyone's always looking for a story, desperately searching for the next exposé, but he doesn't need to worry about that with Jude.  Realistically, he knows that he doesn't need to thank Jude, but he has to acknowledge it, has to say _something_ even though he'd do the same for Jude if the tables were turned.

The elevator dings and the doors fly open. There's no one waiting to get on, and the foyer is relatively quiet so Zero has no qualms about saying, “Thanks for having my back.”

At first Jude looks he wants to dismiss Zero's words with a ' _don’t mention it_ ’ but he seems to change his mind because his eyes crinkle at the corners and his mouth twists upwards as he says, “I've _always_ got your back.”

Zero feels something burst in chest, call it love, affection, whatever but it still makes him feel breathless, still has him amazed that he's actually _feeling_ something. After years of pushing down any emotions and doing his best to make sure that nobody gets to close, the feeling is still new, raw and unfiltered.

“I love you, Jude,” he says without thinking. It's not a declaration that comes easily to them, but Zero thinks that makes it even better when they do say it.

Jude's mouth curls into an enigmatic curve and he nudges Zero's shoulder gently and says, “I know.”

“Cocky much?” he responds, although his words lack any bite.

They're almost by the car and Jude retrieves his keys from his jacket pocket as he says, “You love it.” The words are said teasingly and Zero feels his resulting laughter rumbling in his chest.

“I just said so, didn't I?” he remarks, just before he climbs into the dark blue Porsche, turning to look at Jude while he's clipping his seatbelt.

“Yeah, you did,” Jude says before their eyes meet and they both laugh gently. “I love you too.”

Zero grins at that before he takes his shades out from his pocket and slips them on. “I know.”

The entire exchange is somewhat ridiculous, but if pressed, Zero will admit that he lives for these tiny moments, where it's just them enclosed in their own little bubble.

It's one thing to let someone get past all of his defenses, and another to let them stay there, but…

…he wouldn't have it any other way.

_Fin_.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


End file.
